Best of CES 2014: Well, It’s Not Innovation

Leaving Las Vegas had me thinking about real innovation and whether the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a place where you can find it. Even though the theme of “Innovation” was touted throughout the convention center and thousands upon thousands of participants descended on Las Vegas to find out what is the latest and greatest in technology, after spending time there, I’m left wondering if CES is, in truth, the best place to find it.

Each year the convention floor seems to grow, but not because of a tsunami of innovative products and solutions but rather a sea of the same. A sea consisting of iPhone and iPad cases with numbers beyond comprehension and a sea of HD screens, where bigger is never big enough. The show floor is not just one floor but multiple floors and multiple locations, which each year becomes more and more challenging to cover. And even with all this volume, finding true innovation becomes next to impossible, worse than trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Even when you actually find something interesting, you are left with the question: Is this an example of true innovation? Is it innovation that is incremental or really just what the industry is pushing on consumers and trying to pass as innovation? I don’t question the engineering challenges to create a bigger Ultra HD screen, but should that be what we all define as innovation? As a self-described tech geek, I love seeing the latest hardware. You can’t deny how cool the LG curve smartphone looks or feels, so I’m not hating on the improvements on the size, screen or performance of my tech toys.

Honestly though, I do wonder how shallow my love affair may be based on how quickly the next bigger, sharper, faster iteration comes along. I’ve become that way because the industry has made me that way in its relentless push for sales. Does anyone remember 3D televisions, the “innovation” at CES three years ago? Yes, that was the label, despite the fact that the technology dates back to before 1950 and still, no one wants it. Marketing hype labeled as innovation is no better illustrated by what went on in the main show floor which showcased the big names in the automotive industry. In my opinion, this is an industry that has been noteworthy because of its lack of true innovation.

So where does innovation truly live? When you cover the show floor at CES you might find some great innovation like 3D printing of food! But to be honest I passed by it twice before I actually found it, and most people who attended the show missed it completely. I might be inclined to say you’re more likely to find it at events like TechCrunch Disrupt or Startup Grind, but even there I’m not sure.

I think true innovation really lives inside the ideas that seem impossible that first time we hear them, in the companies that believe that changing the status quo is possible and exciting. I’m thinking of the origin of Street View from Google maps. Somewhere someone had the idea of having a fleet of cars and cameras map the world to help people better navigate. The first reaction was probably that it was not possible, but somehow, in a relatively short time, this has become commonplace for us today. Now, that is amazing!

So, in retrospect, is CES where true innovation can be found or has it turned into something else, a lot less compelling?